Centuries
by Merilindir
Summary: Across many centuries, four Assassins have soulmates that they will never have the chance to meet. [Soulmates AU, non-romantic]


Desmond has a lot of names. They're all diverse- wildly so. One is in Arabic, another is Italian, and the last one Desmond can't even begin to read or pronounce. Desmond doesn't understand until he's kidnapped by Templars and shoved in the Animus. They're the names of his ancestors.

It's a little weird, to have the names of long-dead people on his skin. It's just his luck, really. Soulmates are supposed to be people who understand you like no one else can, and provide unconditional love and acceptance. While most soulmates have romantic bonds, it's not uncommon for soulmates to be parent and child, siblings, or simply really good friends. It's also more common for one person to have one name, but multiple names aren't unheard of.

For Desmond to have three names and for all of them to belong to long-dead men? That's just cruel. Under normal circumstances, Desmond would never have been able to know who his soulmates are.

The Animus throws 'normal' out the window. In a way, he has the Templars to thank for giving him the opportunity to 'meet' his soulmates.

Altaïr is the first, and after his first synch with his ancestor, the flowing name that wraps around Desmond's left ring finger feels warm. Desmond is still scared and angry about the whole kidnapping thing, but experiencing Altaïr's life isn't too bad. Watching Altaïr go from a total asshole to a good man makes Desmond glow with pride.

Abstergo really rushed through the memories, so Desmond doesn't really get to see Altaïr in his downtime, but once -just once- Desmond watches Altaïr sit in a Bureau with his left sleeve pushed up, fingers stroking the name on the underside of his forearm. It's _Desmond's_ name.

* * *

Ezio is completely different from Altaïr. He's so happy and carefree and completely content to spend all day naked in bed with pleasant company. Desmond's unintentional voyeurism allows him to see his name on Ezio's bare forearm, in the same place it was on Altaïr. After a couple memories Desmond is wondering if this Ezio is _really_ an Assassin, and that's when Giovanni and the other Auditore men are sentenced to death. It kills Desmond, absolutely _kills_ him that he can't be there to help Ezio through his grief. Desmond isn't Ezio's only name, though, and it is Cristina that helps Ezio with his family's bodies.

Under the Vatican, both Ezio and Desmond watch Minerva's prepared speech about the end of the world in awe and confusion. Even more shocking to them both is when she addresses Desmond directly. Ezio glances around frantically before looking in Desmond's approximate direction and offering a sad smile.

"It seems we are not meant to meet face to face yet."

When Desmond comes out of the Animus, he swears he can feel Ezio's name burning on his right forearm.

Having Ezio, Altaïr, and Desmond in the same room is a little weird, because Altaïr is dead and Desmond isn't actually _there_ , but it's still kind of cool. And as Ezio speaks in the stillness of the library, laying down his weapons, Desmond almost feels like he's actually with Ezio. There's a moment -just a moment- when Desmond can feel Ezio looking at him, actually _at him,_ and he feels content in a way he's never felt before. The moment is over too soon, and Ezio turns away to go back to Sofia, who is also Ezio's soulmate. Desmond hopes that they had a good life together. Ezio deserves it.

* * *

Haytham is the first ancestor that isn't Desmond's soulmate, and honestly that should have been a huge clue that the guy is a Templar. In the end, Haytham is just a stepping stone before Desmond gets thrown into Ratonhnhaké:ton's memories.

Desmond is the happiest he's been in a while after hearing Ratonhnhaké:ton's name. It's the one name he was never able to figure out. Ezio's name was the easiest, of course. Altaïr was a bit more difficult, but with a translation dictionary, the internet, and determination, Desmond was able to at least learn how to read and pronounce it. Ratonhnhaké:ton was the one name that remained a mystery, and it's no wonder, honestly. History has not been kind to any of North America's Native people, and even if Desmond had figured out that the name was a Native one, there are so many Native languages that it would have been nearly impossible for Desmond to find someone who could read it. When Desmond isn't in the Animus, he spends an embarrassing amount of time repeating Ratonhnhaké:ton's name over and over so that he can say it without mispronouncing it.

That happiness fades away fairly quickly because Ratonhnhaké:ton's life is pretty fucked. It's to be expected, because all Assassins are pretty screwed up in some way. It isn't the first time Desmond's had to watch parents die. After all, Ezio experienced the same thing. But Ezio was 17, basically an adult. Ratonhnhaké:ton is just a kid, and he watches his village and his mother burn. And that's _after_ that asshole Charles Lee and friends beat him up and choked him.

The next memory Desmond sees, Ratonhnhaké:ton is a few years older and a lot less carefree. The kid looks like he needs a hundred hugs, but he shies away from most casual touch. After a meeting with the clan mother and an incredibly trippy experience with an artifact, Ratonhnhaké:ton is on his way to being an Assassin. He picks up a new name along the way- Connor. It's a good name, but Desmond likes Ratonhnhaké:ton better. That's the name on his skin, after all. Right above his heart.

Even though Desmond already knows it's there, he's still unbearably happy when he finally catches a glimpse of his name on Connor's left arm. Unlike Ezio, Connor doesn't shed his clothes at every opportunity. Even on the rare occasions that he's shirtless, Ratonhnhaké:ton keeps his forearm covered with a thin leather bracer. The Kanien'kehá:ka believe that a soulmate's name is nobody's business except for the parties involved. Desmond can appreciate that. He's never been particularly fond of showing off his names, either.

Speaking of their names, Connor is unique in one thing. Altaïr, Ezio, and Desmond all have multiple names. Altaïr had Desmond and Maria, Ezio had Desmond, Cristina, and Sofia. Desmond, of course, has Altaïr, Ezio, and Ratonhnhaké:ton. Connor has only the one, and Desmond's heart breaks a little. He hopes that Connor found happiness eventually. From what he's seen of Connor's life, Desmond doesn't think it's that likely.

* * *

Desmond stands alone in the First Civilization temple, faced with a terrible choice. He's not as afraid as he could be, though. He already knows what he's going to choose, and death doesn't seem so bad. He doesn't believe Juno's promise of a painless death, but it's okay. This is the right choice. Better for him to die so that the rest of the world can live. It's the kind of decision his ancestors -his soulmates- would make, and Desmond can't imagine making a different one.

So he stretches out his hand and welcomes death.

* * *

At various points in the past, three men are born with the name _Desmond Miles_ on their left forearms.

The first, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, learns of Desmond through the Apple, and knows that he's his descendant. Desmond is going to be important one day, long after Altaïr is dead. It hurts that they won't ever have a chance to meet, but Altaïr does everything he can to help Desmond on his way.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze learns of Desmond from Minerva. It's a bittersweet moment because he's so excited to know about the man whose name is on his skin, but the terrible reality is that they will never truly know each other. Finally, when Ezio is old and grey and in the tomb of his idol Altaïr, he gets a glimpse of Desmond's face. He may never meet Desmond properly, but he takes comfort that their souls are linked across centuries, and that he's done his best to help Desmond in his quest.

Connor has no idea who Desmond is, and wonders until the day he dies.

* * *

 **This is un-beta'd so sorry if it doesn't read well. Also, I'm doing my best with Connor but I haven't actually played AC3 yet. (I'm currently playing through Revelations.)**

 **edit made to fix some formatting**


End file.
